Apparatus for cooling vehicle battery and fabrication method thereof

Abstract

An apparatus of cooling a vehicle battery is provided. A battery module includes a module housing having an open bottom portion, with an accommodation space for accommodating a plurality of battery cells in the accommodation space, and a plurality of battery cells accommodated in the accommodation space of the module housing, with bottom surfaces of the plurality of battery cells being exposed through the open bottom portion of the module housing. A lower housing has an accommodation space in which the battery module is accommodated. The lower housing includes a cooling unit cooling the battery module and is configured for being attached to a bottom portion of a vehicle floor. Heat-conductive filler is applied on a seating surface of the lower housing, on which the plurality of battery cells are accommodated, to be in contact with the bottom surfaces of the plurality of battery cells exposed externally through the bottom portion of the module housing.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for cooling a battery, the apparatus comprising:
 a battery module including a module housing having an open bottom portion, with a first accommodation space for accommodating a plurality of battery cells in the first accommodation space wherein bottom surfaces of the plurality of battery cells are exposed through the open bottom portion of the module housing; 
 a lower housing having a second accommodation space in which the battery module is accommodated, wherein the lower housing includes a cooling unit cooling the battery module and is attached to a bottom portion of a vehicle floor; and 
 heat-conductive filler applied on a seating surface of the lower housing, on which the plurality of battery cells are accommodated, to be in contact with the bottom surfaces of the plurality of battery cells exposed externally through the open bottom portion of the module housing, 
 wherein the lower housing includes a top panel and sidewall members mounted on a top surface of the top panel along peripheral portions of the top panel to accommodate the battery module in the second accommodation space formed of the top panel and the sidewall members, and a bottom panel mounted below the top panel to protect the battery module, 
 wherein when the plurality of battery cells are accommodated in the first accommodation space of the module housing, a top and sides of the battery cells are surrounded by the module housing, 
 wherein the second accommodation space of the lower housing is formed by the top panel and the sidewall members of the lower housing and is divided by one or more lateral members; 
 wherein the one or more lateral members of the lower housing, the top panel and the bottom panel include respectively one or more securing holes, and 
 wherein when the lower housing, the top panel and the bottom panel are stacked and coupled to each other, the one or more securing holes are aligned in a stack direction. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the module housing includes a module housing top plate and module housing sidewalls, and wherein the first accommodation space is provided to accommodate the plurality of battery cells in the module housing top plate and the module housing sidewalls. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the module housing includes a module housing top plate, module housing sidewalls, and a module housing bottom plate, with a predetermined area of the module housing bottom plate being open. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the heat-conductive filler is mounted between the bottom surfaces of the plurality of battery cells and the top panel of the lower housing. 
 
     
     
       5. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling unit includes a cooling channel located between the top panel and the bottom panel of the lower housing, the cooling channel allowing cooling water to flow therethrough to cool the battery module. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the cooling channel mounted in the cooling unit is in contact with a bottom surface of the top panel so that closed sections are formed by the bottom surface of the top panel, forming a path along which the cooling water flows. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the lower housing further includes a cooling water inlet, through which the cooling water is introduced into the cooling channel of the cooling unit, and a cooling water outlet, through which the cooling water is discharged after having circulated through the cooling channel. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the sidewall members of the lower housing are formed with a plurality of coupling holes by which the lower housing is attached to the bottom portion of the vehicle floor and a plurality of guide pins are provided to guide attachment of the lower housing to the bottom portion of the vehicle floor, and 
 wherein the bottom portion of the vehicle floor is formed with a plurality of coupling holes in positions corresponding to positions of the plurality of coupling holes in the sidewall members and guide holes in positions corresponding to positions of the guide pins on the sidewall members. 
 
     
     
       9. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further including:
 an automatic fastening unit mounted on the bottom portion of the vehicle floor to automatically attach or decouple the lower housing to or from the bottom portion of the vehicle floor, 
 wherein the lower housing further includes a connector mounted in a position corresponding to a position of the automatic fastening unit to be automatically connected to or disconnected from the automatic fastening unit.